We at Boston are incredibly proud of the graduates and students that get out there and DO. Do you recall the Nike catchphrase? Simply do it? Well, from the perspective that you cannot simply sit back and wait for employment, a successful relationship, or success in your personal life to fall into your lap, we do believe in that payout line. Things must be brought about by you! And one of our graduates who is now making things happen is Mr. Thabang Kevin Khatide!
What motivated Thabang to try his hand at this unique career, then? “When I graduated from Pretoria Boys High, I knew I wanted to follow a path that was completely different from most others. I wasn’t planning on diving right in.
“I went on to attend many seminars and embarked on a personal development journey, and soon enough, acquired a key mentor who’s guided me into starting my own business after much ideation.”
Thabang continues explaining why he added in some tertiary studies:
For the sake of appeasement of my mom! I decided to complete a short course at Boston City Campus, Lynnwood. The course was in The Principles of Management which had a plethora of ideal entrepreneurial elements.
Above and beyond that, he stays in studies and “I occasionally take short online courses as well”. “I have a number of things going on in my life varying from my personal career to managing my business and company Velatswi which is a one of a kind city scooter touring company. I thoroughly enjoy spending my days knowing that I am working on a business that can transform many lives in the long run, and simultaneously the process and journey has allowed me to be stretched and challenged as an individual in various ways.”
We all know that entrepreneurial ventures are difficult, what is the most difficult aspect for Thabang? “I least enjoy rejection but work through and around it nonetheless.”
Thabang explains what he does during an average day:
On my end the day would start off with an intense gym session followed by a shower and nutritional breakfast. After all that, it’s back to chipping off the daily tasks set out for the week from the Sunday prior to the week start.
We asked Thabang if someone was thinking of following in his tracks, what would he recommend? He responded that they would need three important qualities:
- Efficient time management
- Resilience
- Grounded character
And how would he describe an entrepreneurial job such as his? “Doing what I do requires someone who’s not only committed to their hustle but has the necessary discipline to fulfil all necessary duties and responsibilities across the board”. He does also believe in training and says, “Training and experience go hand in hand. You’ll need the training to excel when an opportunity opens up to gain the necessary experience.”
While Thabang believes in training as discussed above, he also feels that personal development should be a priority. “Personally, I believe we live in a high opportunity world. A world where paper is no longer the prerequisite to get “paper”. I believe each person needs to qualify themselves in whatever they are passionate about and go about it the best way they deem fit to excel in said field. A starting point most ignore is most certainly personal development and really learning how to come into yourself and honing in on who you want to be in a few years’ time”.
He has faced challenges such as starting and running a business in the height of the National Lockdown.
To grades 11’s and 12’s. he advises:
“Know what you want and start paving the way on how you will get there, because nowadays we have many parents coaxing their children into career paths and degrees the kids are either not interested in or passionate about. The world has changed. There is a way for everyone to make it without always reverting to the traditional means. In tertiary studies, he doesn’t adhere to the formal and strict discipline of all school leavers getting a degree, but he adds:
In due time I will probably enroll in some more short courses to add to my skillset and knowledge base. I’m always interested in attaining key information that I can immediately put to use vs it being assessed, marked, and only after some years have passed will I now fully be able to apply it all.
Would he stay in Boston to finish his education? “The new Lynnwood branch in Pretoria was my first exposure to Boston in a professional situation, and it had been nothing short of fantastic. The personnel consistently displayed a welcoming and kind attitude, and they were especially helpful to their students.
